In the trucking industry, particularly Class 8 trucks and the like, the two-cycle diesel engine has been commonplace for many years. In more recent years, due primarily to emission standards, the industry has been demanding the more efficient burning four-cycle diesel engine. Reductions in size and weight of the engines and its components has also become a design factor, more so now than ever before. Likewise, the popularity of electronic engine controls has made possible the more precise control of engine operating parameters, and assists the downsizing and general redesign, as well as the elimination of, many of the engine components. One such example of redesign is the engine intake air manifold assembly.
It is important that each engine cylinder receive the same amount of air for the combustion process. With an engine having a single intake air manifold leading to each of the combustion chambers of an inlet engine, and having a single air intake to the manifold, this problem has conventionally been addressed by providing an extraordinarily large air plenum between the manifold intake and the manifold outlet to the respective combustion chambers. Thus, any difference in air velocity is in effect neutralized as the intake air traverses the large air plenum. The drawback to this solution however is the fact that the intake manifold is unnecessarily large, and this adds to the weight of the vehicle, as well as takes up precious space within the engine compartment.
These and other matters, among others, are addressed by the present invention.